Why Is End-of-Life Spending So High? Evidence from Cancer Patients
研究了癌症患者临终花费高的原因，发现即使初始预后相似，一年内死亡的患者在确诊后一年的花费是存活者的两倍多，主要源于住院费用，尤其是低强度入院，但多数入院并未导致死亡，且年轻患者花费更高。
Abstract We study the sources of high end-of-life spending for cancer patients. Even among patients with similar initial prognoses, spending in the year postdiagnosis is over twice as high for those who die within the year than those who survive. Elevated spending on decedents is predominantly driven by higher inpatient spending, particularly low-intensity admissions. However, most such admissions do not result in death, making it difficult to target spending reductions. Furthermore, end-of-life spending is substantially more elevated for younger patients, compared to older patients with similar prognoses. Results highlight sources of high end-of-life spending without revealing any natural “remedies.”